


A Long Time Ago, That Was Me

by Short_Circuits



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: (kind of), Abandonment, Adopted Children, Adoption, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Exile, Happy Ending, Oh goodness I’m so bad at tagging, TommyInnit-centric (Video Blogging RPF)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:55:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29292495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Short_Circuits/pseuds/Short_Circuits
Summary: Tommy gets exiled.He’s off on his own in the world, except he’s not. Years pass, and he realizes he’s really made a life for himself.But what if his past came back for him?What if he didn’t want to go?
Relationships: Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF) & Original Character(s)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 401





	1. The Beginning of the End

**Author's Note:**

> Heehoo I actually started this at the beginning of the exile arc, but I wanted to write the whole thing out before publishing it, because motivation. 
> 
> It’ll be 3 parts in total, I hope you guys enjoy :)

Tommy stared into the eyes of his best friend, eyes he no longer recognized, and felt something inside him break. Again. He was being betrayed, being exiled again. He’d been betrayed so many times at this point, he’d lost count. But he thought he’d at least still have Tubbo by his side. After all, they were best friends! Everybody knew they were inseparable, it was the two of them against the world.

 _Inseparable_ a cruel part of his mind whispered. _How ironic. There’s a very apparent separation between you now._ The wall stood between the two, only a small gap that was barely big enough to walk through allowing him to glimpse L’Manberg. 

He stood tall, stance proud, refusing to let his hands shake, refusing to let the tears fall that threatened his eyelids. He would not show weakness. Especially when he _was_ weak. He had to be strong, he had to be. 

Behind Tubbo stood Quackity and Fundy, both looks of sorrow and regret on their faces. And by Tommy’s side was Dream, one hand gripping his shoulder, mask ever unwavering.

“Tommy, you are hereby exiled from the country of L’Manberg.” Tubbo’s voice was strong, but Tommy could also see the way his hands were making fists with the fabric of his suit, a habit he did when he was nervous or anxious. The hand on his shoulder tightened, and Dream spoke for the first time in a while, sounding amused.

“Come on, Tommy.” He only nodded, turning to follow Dream stiffly, still in his grasp. But before he was out of earshot, Tommy heard one last thing Tubbo said to him.

“I’m sorry, Tommy.” He didn’t acknowledge the words at all, continuing down the path, away from his home. They reached the shore a few minutes later, Dream gesturing for Tommy to follow him to a small boat tied at the docks. Once they sat down, Dream began rowing, and Tommy sat with his knees up to his chest, clutching his small bag. 

“So where do you want to go, Tommy? I know a nice field a few thousand blocks away, as well as a snowy biome. But that’s where Technoblade lives, so I doubt you want to go there. Over in the east, there’s a village somewhere inland, I think, although I’ve never been there myself. I can drop you off at the shore there.” Tommy only nodded, mind racing.

_Where do I want to go? Home. Back to my country._

They sailed in silence for a few hours after that, deep blue ocean surrounding them on all sides, the only thing measuring time being the sun above him. Eventually, he saw the edge of land on the horizon, growing larger with every second that passed. They reached the shore at last, and Dream stopped rowing, turning to face Tommy.

“Get out. You’ll want to get going, the sun will be setting soon.” Tommy’s eyes widened, knowing the warning wasn’t out of kindness, but cruelty. He swung his legs over the edge of the boat, feet and ankles getting wet in the shallow water. He trudged up to dry land, turning to see Dream was already sailing away. Well, this was it. He’s really alone. He’d better find that village.

He made his way through the forest on land for a few hours afterwards, night falling sooner than he’d anticipated. He’d made a makeshift sword, fighting off the few zombies and skeletons he’d come across. He’d only gotten a few scratches, but he was definitely getting tired, and the village was nowhere in sight. His limbs were weary, and he was so worn out emotionally and physically that he thought he was going to collapse. But he kept stumbling forwards, knowing if he collapsed out here in the middle of nowhere the mobs would get to him. 

He stumbled onwards, over the crest of a hill, and that’s when he saw the lights. They were faint, in the distance, but with the darkness of the night engulfing everything else around him, they seemed as bright as the sun. His pace picked up, and he was jogging, then running, and then full out sprinting. He had to reach the light. Light meant an establishment of some sort, and that meant other life, which meant safety and shelter. The village. 

Eventually he reached the edge of the village, the one Dream had told him would be there, and he smiled. It was small, but not tiny, with about 10 or 15 houses and other various buildings scattered around. There was no sign of life, probably inside and sleeping, but he quickly stumbled towards the nearest house, once again near collapsing now that safety was so close. He tiredly knocked on the door, hoping somebody would answer. 

And luckily for him, after only a moment, the door swung open, revealing a young woman who couldn’t have been more than a handful of years older than he was, groggy and confused. But upon seeing Tommy’s exhausted state, she quickly became more alert. 

“Oh my goodness, are you okay?” He ignored her question, determined to speak, even if his speech was a little slurred.

“Do you have any extra space where I can stay?” The woman moved aside, quickly ushering him in.

“Of course! I can’t leave you out in the middle of the night like this! Are you hurt?” Tommy shook his head, knowing the various small scratches he’d gathered were of no worry. “Do you need water?” He shook his head again. “Food?” Again, a no. The woman pursed her lips, but turned to pull a blanket out of a closet, gesturing to the old couch in the room. “Well then. For tonight you can sleep here. Tomorrow we’ll have to sort something out for you.” 

Tommy tried to thank her, but the woman had already left the room. He turned to the couch, practically collapsing on it, letting his exhaustion take over, falling asleep quickly.

***

Tommy slept dreamlessly, something he hadn’t experienced in years. Growing up he’d always had dreams, whether they be good or bad. He woke up to the sound of soft voices, muffled through the walls, but still understandable. It sounded like a conversation between two people, one male and one female. He recognized the female one as the woman who had let him in the previous night, but he didn’t know the male voice.

“What do you mean you let a stranger in? We can’t trust him!”

“He’s just a child! I couldn’t leave him out there, you should have seen him! All roughed up, near collapsing! The mobs would have gotten him for sure!” Ah. They were talking about him.

“Fine. We’ll talk to the council today, see if there’s anywhere for him to go. But he can’t stay here again, okay?” 

Tommy sat up, hoping to get up and get out without bothering anybody. But as he did, his bag slid off of his lap and crashed to the ground loudly, making him wince. The man and the woman entered the room, the woman smiling and coming over. She sat next to him on the couch, reaching down and handing him his bag. She nodded to the man, who smiled at her and walked out of the room again.

“So, kid, I want to help you, but first I need to know more about… you. Why you’re here, who you are. Is that okay?” Tommy nodded. “Okay, first, can you tell me your name?”

“Tommy. I’m Tommy.” He muttered it under his breath, fidgeting with the strap of his bag.

“Well hi, Tommy. I’m Rosemary, or just Rose. How old are you?”

“I’m 16. But I’m not a kid.” Rose’s face hardened for a moment, and Tommy felt himself shrink away.

“That’s still too young to be out by yourself like that. Can you tell me why you were out there? Or where you came from?” Tommy rubbed the back of his neck nervously at that. He could still hear Tubbo’s voice ringing angrily in his ears, feel his piercing gaze burning his skin.

“I- uh, I was exiled from my country, over to the west. We were recovering from a war, and they thought I was a liability, so I was brought to the shore near here, and I walked until I found this village.”

“You were _what?_ What kind of people banish a kid to the middle of nowhere? What kind of people send a kid into war like that?” Rose’s voice was rising with anger, but Tommy had realized it wasn’t directed at him.

“Our people, I guess. My best friend and I- we wanted to run away from it all, months ago. But we missed our chance, and now- well now he hates me. He’s the one that made the decision to exile me after all.” By the end, Tommy was looking down at the floor, determined to stop the tremors in his shoulders. He would not show weakness. He would not. Tubbo had given him up, betrayed him, he would not let his ex-best friend have this control over him. He refused. Rose seemed to catch on, and she stood up, offering him a hand. He took it grudgingly, and Rose smiled at him warmly.

“Come on, I think Charlie is making breakfast in the other room. Afterwards we’ll bring you to the town leaders and see if there’s anything we can do for you here. I’m sure the rest of the village will be happy to have you here.”

***

As it turned out, “breakfast” meant a full meal with scrambled eggs, a slice of bread, and fresh strawberries. He’d stared at all the food in shock, thinking back to how in L’Manberg there had never really been an organized breakfast for anybody, people would sort of just grab a bit of food if they got hungry. This was foreign to him. 

But Rose sat down happily next to Charlie, and the two waved him over to join them. He felt bad for crashing in on them like this, so he only grabbed a small bit of egg, and a couple strawberries. He sat quietly, still on edge around these people, feeling off kilter in the foreign situation.

After they’d all finished, Rose stood up, walking to the front door of the house. She turned around, gesturing for him to follow her. He walked quickly to catch up to her, walking by her side. 

He felt small, walking with his head down, gripping his bag. He hadn’t felt this way, so out of place, in years. Back in L’Manberg, and before then in the SMP, and before then growing up at his family’s small home, he’d always walked with a certain level of confidence. He was a big man, and he always held his head up high. But as Rose and he walked through the narrow village streets, he shrunk away under the watchful gazes of the village people. 

Everybody must have been just waking up, because there was a sort of bustle and noise as people went outside, heading off to do their jobs, or going to talk to their neighbors. It was a small village, and everybody seemed to know everybody else. That only made the stares and whispers more obvious as he passed. He was new. They were watching. 

Eventually, they came across a relatively small building that, from what Tommy could tell, was at the heart of the little village. Two streets all intersected in a cross shape, and right in the center was the building. All around them was bustling and noise, all radiating happiness and peace, a very different atmosphere than L’Manberg had ever been. 

The building looked far older than the rest Tommy had seen so far, made of plain oak walls and a simple cobblestone roof. Rose led him over to one side of the building with a pair of doors on it, knocking softly before entering, ushering in Tommy behind her. The inside was rather plain, furnished only by a table surrounded by a ring of mismatched chairs of varying sizes and materials. Half the chairs were occupied by 5 people, engaged in a quiet conversation. They all wore smiles, body language seeming calm and relaxed.

But Tommy was on edge. These guys were the town leaders, the council, and they had all say in what would happen to him. He was reminded bitterly of Wilbur’s harsh tone when he’d turned away Quackity in the early days of L’Manberg, how he’d laughed as Quackity’s eyes had widened in fear, before he’d scrambled away to fend for himself again. He was also reminded of Schlatt, how Schlatt had exiled him and Wilbur, how he’d been laughing as well, how he and Wilbur had been off on their own in the woods for so long. And Tubbo—

Rose interrupted his thoughts by clearing her throat and addressing the people at the table, seemingly no tension in her shoulders like what Tommy could feel in his.

“Hello, everybody! I have a topic I would like to ask you about today.” The conversation between the 5 people ended with that, all of them turning their attention to Rose, kind smiles on their faces. They didn’t seem to notice Tommy yet, but Rose gestured to him, motioning for him to move forwards. He stepped forwards awkwardly, staring down at the table, before quickly trying to stand up straighter and not slouch, but still avoiding the gazes of any of the people at the table.

Rose smiled at him, continuing. “This is Tommy. He ended up here last night, and I let him stay the night in my house. But he needs somewhere to stay more permanently, and so I thought I should ask if there was anywhere for him to stay.” Tommy tapped his foot against the floor, hating how the attention was swiftly all directed at him. He never used to feel like that, he used to love being loud, having people watch him, but this was different. These people could send him back out into the woods, alone again. 

One of the people at the table, a woman who looked to be in her thirties, spoke first.

“Well Tommy, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself, and your situation. I’m sure we’d all be happy to help.” He pulled at a loose string on his sleeve, gathering his thoughts together. It was fine. He could tell these people what had happened to him. They wanted to help.

“Well I guess I should start from the beginning. Over to the east, across the ocean and then a bit further, is a country called Dream SMP. My brother and I left our childhood home to join it, wanting to make a life for ourselves. And once we got there, we settled down. But we ended up wanting to leave, to make a country of our own nearby. L’Manberg. We had a few other people on our side as well. Dream, the leader of the Dream SMP, wasn’t happy. We ended up going to war with the SMP for independence, and we won.” He heard gasps at that, but Tommy only smiled, remembered the cheering, and the pride he’d felt at being able to do something to help his family. “We began an era of peace, and Wilbur, he’s my brother, and I, decided to hold an election for President and Vice President. We lost. This guy, Schlatt, won. He exiled me and Wilbur, and we built a temporary home in the woods. Schlatt was a tyrannical dictator, and we ended up going to war with him and Dream again to win L’Manberg back.” His smile grew. “We won that too. But Wilbur died. Tubbo, my best friend, became the president in the new era. Dream wasn’t happy. He threatened Tubbo with another war because of me, and so Tubbo decided to exile me again. And now… now I’m here.” His voice broke at the end, arms shaking as he thought about it all.

But another council member, this one a young man, spoke, voice warm and kind. “Thank you for telling us, Tommy. There’s a vacant house next to the school, you can stay there for as long as you’d like. And, if you decide to stay, you’ll have at least a month to settle down, and then I’m sure we can find you a job in the community. We’re happy to have you here.” 

Tommy felt tears building up, but he shoved them away. He would not cry. But he nodded at the council, muttering his thanks, before Rose headed back to the door, gesturing for him to follow. He followed her down the street, until eventually they stopped at a house that looked exactly like all the others. But Rose only pushed the door open, walking in. Tommy followed her in, taking in the interior of the house. It was rather small, only a kitchen, bathroom, small living room, and a bedroom. There were a few pieces of furniture around the house, but it didn’t feel alive. And he had no way to change that. The only items he had of his own were the few random items he had in his bag. But he was grateful for it nonetheless. Rose left soon after, leaving him to settle down.

Tommy headed to the bedroom, lying down on the sinking mattress. He opened his bag, rummaging through until he grasped a handful of pictures, pulling them out and staring at them.

The first one was from years and years ago, when he was little, and Wil and Techno couldn’t have been older than 10. Phil had taken the picture, wanting to get a picture of the three of them in the garden. But then Wilbur had poked him, and he’d screeched at him, causing Wil to laugh at him, and then Techno had been holding a stick, and had used it to hit Wil over the head, making the eldest of the twins laugh as Wil shouted indignantly. The picture was blurry with motion, but it had perfectly captured their family dynamic. He missed his brothers. He missed his dad.

He moved to look at the second picture. It was one Wilbur had taken, one morning while nobody was paying attention. The picture showed Techno eating breakfast, while Tommy pointed a fork at him, forgetting his own food. To the side was Phil, who was laughing at the exchange instead of trying to break it up like he would have done in the past. This picture was more recent than the first one, all of them in the photo looking older. 

He looked at the third picture, smiling softly. It was one of the first days in Dream SMP, a picture he’d gotten Wilbur to take of him and Tubbo. The two had become friends when they had been little, but it had been their first reunion in nearly a decade. They clicked again instantly, slipping into an easy friendship that made it seem like they’d been friends for years. In the picture, the two stood shoulder to shoulder, with Tommy resting his arm on top of Tubbo’s head, exaggerating their height difference. Tubbo was laughing, trying to shove Tommy’s arm off. They both looked like different people, eyes alight with that childish life they’d lost after everything the two had been through. In the picture, Tommy held himself casually, instead of the way he was now, always on edge, always ready to fight like Techno had taught him. And Tubbo’s face and arms didn’t carry any of the scars and burns he’d earned from being shot with fireworks close range, no marks of the things he’d suffered. 

He missed the time when they were those kids, and that was all they were. No wars, no countries on their shoulders, no loss and betrayal and the deep, dark evil they’d come to expect from people. But they couldn’t be those kids anymore. Those kids were gone, lost and sacrificed in war and suffering. And for what? Where had it all gotten them? Hating each other, leading a country, all alone, lost. So lost.

Tommy sat up, clutching the pictures tightly in his hand. He grabbed a couple nails off a shelf in the room, trying his best to awkwardly stick them through the pictures, pinning them to the wall above his bed. He stood back, surveying the room. It was still quite sparse, but it didn’t feel quite so empty. It certainly wasn’t much, but it was a start.


	2. And Life Goes On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically just tommy trying to make a life for himself
> 
> Mostly just the world building bit, this one will have the least “important” plot, but it’s still good.

In the days that followed, Tommy developed a bit of a routine. He’d wake up early to the sounds of bustle outside, shaken out of a nightmare. He’d change into a new set of clothes, Rose having lended him a few of Charlie’s older ones. They were made of a softer material than he was used to, and none of them had his signature red and white combination, but he was grateful anyway. 

After getting up and getting going, he’d head down the street to the little bakery owned by an older woman named Julia. She was kind, giving him a free warm roll for breakfast each day, so long as he sat and kept her company for a few hours. Tommy liked her. She’d listen to him talk and laugh and she’d let him tell stories, most of them the funny little things he remembered doing with friends. She once told him that she lived alone, and enjoyed having somebody to talk to. 

She’d also begun to introduce him to other people in the village, and he learned from her which people were regulars, who always sat where, what everybody did, and whether or not Julia liked them. He was slowly becoming a part of the closely knit community, and every day more and more people would wave to him, or say hello, or knew his name. It was nice, the people there were nice.

Julia told him one day that he’d become the talk of the village. Apparently most new people were adults, and having the new guy be a kid was unusual. Supposedly there were rumors going around as to why he was there, the only people knowing the full story being Rose, Charlie, and the town council, and Julia knowing bits and pieces he’d shared. They’d all been kind, saying they wouldn’t share anything with anybody else, and he was grateful for that.

Beyond his age and mysterious appearance in the little community, the loud parts of his personality were starting to show through, and people seemed to be taking notice of that too. He’d caught a couple stares as he’d laughed at something in busy spaces, the old self conscious feeling from when he’d been young returning. Seeing as Tommy spent most of his days wandering the village, meeting people and learning the layout, he’d encountered many people, and apparently people talked about him. But he didn’t have much else to do with himself during the day.

One day, though, while he was at the little bakery, Julia had been acting strange, looking at him with a curious expression, and glancing at the door regularly, as if expecting somebody. He hadn’t been paying much attention to her behavior however, he’d become distracted with a piece of yellow Julia had given to him, intent on figuring out how to fold it into a bird like Wilbur had taught him when he was little. 

Eventually, a man walked up to the counter, close to where Tommy was sitting, and he’d finally looked up from his crumpled piece of paper, and into the eyes of an older man he vaguely recognized. He was pretty sure the man ran the small school in the village, but he couldn’t be sure. Tommy hadn’t ever been to a formal school, being taught all he needed to know about the work by Phil, and so he hadn’t stopped by. He figured he was probably young enough that if he’d grown up in the village, he’d still be attending the school, and he hoped that wasn’t what the man was trying to rope him into.

Then the man had stuck out his hand for a handshake, and as Tommy hesitantly took it, the man introduced himself. 

“Hello, Tommy. I’m Phelix, the head of the village school. I was wondering if I could speak to you for a moment?” Tommy nodded slowly, glancing at Julia, who only smiled, waving her hand, as if gesturing for him to go. He stood up, following Phelix out into the warm spring air. Phelix began walking down the path, and Tommy followed at his side, significantly taller than the man. He was still unsure of what was happening, but he noticed the path they were taking led to the school. Tommy hadn’t exactly kept track, but he was pretty sure it was a Saturday, perhaps that was why Phelix was out at this time.

“So Tommy, I’ve heard you’re supposed to find a job here to keep you busy?” Tommy nodded absently, but his answer seemed to satisfy Phelix. “Well, I’ve discussed with a few shop owners and the like, and we’re all onboard with this. Tommy, how would you feel about becoming a teacher?” Tommy stopped, taken aback at that. Him, a teacher? He figured he’d be last on the list for that sort of position.

“Me? But I’m younger than some of the oldest kids! And I’m too loud to work with kids!” Phelix only laughed.

“I was thinking I could have you helping with the younger kids, and the fact that you yourself are young only makes you a better candidate. You understand kids better than I do, and you can keep up with their energy, I’m sure. And, if you don't feel comfortable with actually teaching, I can have you watch the youngest kids, and you’d just be playing games with them and teaching them how to interact with other kids. So, what do you say?” Tommy smiled to himself, staring ahead and letting himself get lost in the idea. Him, helping to take care of kids. He’d never pictured a real future for himself, figuring he’d always be tangled up in wars, a child soldier. But having a real, normal job? He liked the sound of that. And being around kids sounded fun. Maybe he got that from Phil, but a part of him wanted to help kids. 

And so he turned to Phelix, shaking his hand, smiling wider than he had in as long as he could remember.

***

It took awhile to get to actually helping kids in the school. The first few days were spent sitting on a chair in the back of the single roomed school full of about 30 kids, ranging from age 4 to 17. The oldest kids eyed him, confused, but never giving him direct attention, but the youngest kids openly stared at him, curious. One day after all the kids were allowed to leave, Tommy had stood up to talk with Phelix, and one little girl had run up to him, tugging on the edge of his shirt and staring up at him with wide eyes.

“Are you that guy my momma told me about? She said you’re going to be a teacher, but you’re younger than my sister, so I told her that you couldn’t be a teacher, but then Leah said it was true, and she didn’t seem too happy, she’s the one that sits in the fourth row and talks to Iris, that’s her friend, so I said I’d come and talk to you and find out the truth for myself, and you’re too young to be a teacher, but you look nice, so you’re okay.” Tommy smiled as the little girl rambled. He kneeled down to be close to eye level with her.

“What’s your name?” 

“Winter! Like the season.”

“Well, Winter, I am going to be helping out around here. I’m going to be helping the little kids like you, actually. And I may be pretty young, but I’m no kid. I’m the manliest man ever.” He said it smiling, and Winter giggled. 

“No, you’re a kid! You are tall, but momma said you’re 16! You can’t be a man if you’re 16!” 

Tommy put a hand to his heart, pretending to be offended. “How dare you, Winter. I’m so hurt. Now, though, you’d better head home. I don’t want your momma to be worried about you.” Winter grinning, waving at him before running outside, and to her home, he assumed. He stood up, turning to see Phelix standing behind his desk, smiling at Tommy.

“Already befriending the kids, I see?” Tommy only laughed sheepishly, realizing that he really did enjoy being around little kids. This was going to be fun.

***

Tommy and Phelix had gone to talk to the council only a week later about building an extension to the school, a second room for the little kids. It would be for the 4 to 7 year olds, the group it had been decided Tommy would be in charge of. Once they got approval, Tommy had. Been quick to begin designs and construction. He knew he wasn’t the best builder, and so he’d gotten help from a couple throughout the village with building, and eventually filling the room. 

It wasn’t the largest space, but they filled it with books on shelves, cushions, small chairs and tables covered in art supplies, toys spread all across the room, and a fuzzy carpet that covered about a third of the room. It took nearly 3 months of work, but at the end, Tommy stood in the center of the room, smiling at the result of his work. Now it was time to work with some kids.

***

Tommy woke up on the morning of his first day teaching, also the first day of the new school year. He put on his signature red and white T-shirt for comfort, but put on a coat over it, a gift from Rose after he’d admitted he didn’t have one. It was a warm brown, and reminded him a little too much of Wilbur’s coat, the one he’d worn in the months leading up to his death. Tommy tried his best to make his hair lie flat, but it had been growing out, becoming curlier, and it refused to be tamed. 

He stopped in for a quick, early breakfast at the bakery, and Julia had given a good luck muffin, which raised his spirits. Then, all that was left was to head to the school. And he refused to admit how nervous he was. He didn’t want to mess up, this had become important to him with all the time he’d put in, and he wanted to make a good impression on all the parents and the kids on his first day.

The school came into view, the sun still low on the horizon. It was about an hour until kids would start arriving, and he didn’t want to be late. He arrived at the little school, entering his little area, and tidying up the already immaculate room.

He double and triple checked that there were crayons on the first table, and pencils on the second, as well as a few books of ranging difficulty laid out on the carpet. He knew what to expect. He’d monitor the youngest kids, letting them play and interact, and he’d work with the older kids on early school subjects, while still giving them breaks. It shouldn’t be too hard, but he was still on edge.

He decided to stand in the doorway to greet the students, and as little kids began arriving, some alone, some in groups, and some with parents,he felt himself begin to relax. All the kids didn’t seem to care about having a new teacher, they were just excited to have a new room full of new things to explore. Tommy felt himself fall into the mindset he remembered so clearly from the times he’d help Wilbur with presidential business. There was work to be done, and he could take this one task at a time. He could manage this. 

As the weeks flew by, Tommy grew to know the kids. There was Winter, who he already knew, who was always being followed by a little boy, Oli, and the dynamic between the two reminded Tommy painfully of him and Tubbo, only younger and less war-ridden. There was also a little boy, Miles, who was quiet, but would spend the whole day drawing flowers that were mind blowing for somebody of his age. Then there were Jay and Lia who were siblings 2 years apart. Jay would always come in covered in mud and dirt, a wide toothy grin on their face as Lia would act as their mother, scolding them and trying to get leaves out of their hair. The oldest kid in the group was a girl named Nicole who always played with the little kids, and honestly made Tommy’s job a lot easier. 

The kids seemed to like Tommy, laughing at the jokes he made. When he tried to convince them he was a big man, they all started calling him their big kid teacher, and Tommy pretended to be upset, despite the grin that always stayed on his face. The kids never made comments about his laugh being too loud, or how he talked quickly sometimes. They didn’t judge him, not like the people back at L’Manburg, not like his own family. Kids didn’t care.

***

Tommy was surprised at how time consuming teaching was. Outside of the actual school day, he had a few assignments to grade, a room to clean, plans to make, and usually by the time he headed to his house, he was exhausted. 

But he found he liked being busy. It kept his mind full, which kept him from wallowing in his own thoughts all the time. He didn’t have time to be sad or pity himself when there were books to put on shelves, and colored pencils to sharpen. He began to earn a reputation within the village for how much hard work he put in for teaching, many people becoming used to seeing him finally leave the little school building long after sunset. People didn’t tend to stop him for conversations, knowing how tired he was, but they would wave and smile, and Tommy appreciated that just as much.

The first year of teaching passed in a whirlwind, and before he knew it, he was saying goodbye to the 7 year olds in his group, even though they’d only be a room over. As he stared at the room around him, now full of a year’s worth of memories, he smiled, grabbing his bag, and beginning the walk home. He was already thinking of things he could do to keep himself occupied during the next 2 months, not wanting to let the long empty days get to his head.

Eventually, he decided he wanted to practice sparring, not having anybody to fight anymore, but also not wanting to forget what he’d spent his whole childhood learning. The next morning he woke up at the crack of dawn, grabbing his bag and his sword, one Rose had gifted to him after one time he’d mention he used to like to fight with them.

He headed out into the woods, searching for a clearing where he could set up. Eventually he came across one, small, but well hidden. He chopped down a nearby tree, trying his best to make a dummy he could practice against. He knew a live partner would be better, but that wasn’t an option. After some time, he deemed his dummy good enough, and he lifted the sword, testing its weight. It was well balanced and sharp, probably never used. Tommy tried a few light swings at the dummy, and he noticed his hits were close, but still off by a sizable margin. 

He readjusted his stance, remembering what Techno had taught him, and lifted his sword again, going in for a forceful swing. He hit his target, but as he did, the dummy faded away, and it was Sapnap he was hitting, not a piece of wood.

Tommy stumbled, sword falling out of his grasp, collapsing backwards. He felt out of breath, shell shocked. The could feel the battle adrenaline start pumping, but he just curled up on the ground, shaking.

He wasn’t in danger. Not anymore.

He was okay.

But was he? He obviously still had some unresolved issues if he went into flashbacks when he tried to fight.

He couldn’t fight anymore.

He was weak.

He refused to be weak. Not again. Never again. 

Tommy pushed himself up, legs still shaking slightly, and swung at the dummy. He hit the spot he was aiming for, and Tommy ignored the screams of pain that echoed through his head.

He stepped back, swinging again, over and over, the sounds and visions more subdued each time. Eventually, he swung, and all he was hitting was a dummy, a piece of wood. Not a friend, not an enemy, just a piece of wood.

Tommy grinned, finally noticing how exhausted he was. He’d finish there for the day, but tomorrow, he’d be back. And each day after that, until he was strong again. He could be strong. He could be strong without having to hurt anybody.

***

He returned each day after that, arriving at sunrise and leaving just before the sun dipped down past the horizon once more.

He grew stronger with time, stronger than he’d ever been during his time on the SMP. Maybe he wasn’t fighting a real enemy, but it was better that way. He didn’t want to be strong so he could fight his enemies, he wanted to be strong so he could defend himself, and maybe one day, those he cared about.

The summer drew to a close with chilly winds and orange trees, and Tommy prepared for the new school year. He’d barely been seen all summer, and so once he returned to staying in town all day, about a week before the start of the new school year, people waved and stopped for a conversation, happy to see him. Rose commented to him one day that he looked older, healthier, and Tommy felt it. He was 17, healthy, and genuinely happy. 

That was something he hadn’t ever been before. 

Strong and happy.

When he was little, he’d been happy, but he’d never been strong. He got into fights, and he lost fights, and Phil always had to patch him up. 

Then, when he got older, he was strong. He won the fights he got into. But he wasn’t happy. Tommy figured he could never have both. He would have to fight for those he cared for, and fighting didn’t make him happy. It made him strong. A weapon. A tool. A child, yes, but a tool of war. He didn’t think he could ever be happy and strong together.

And yet there was.

The school year started without much trouble, many familiar faces, but also new ones too. Tommy learned that being strong had benefits beyond being able to fight, that year. He could move around the table, lift shelves if a crayon rolled under one, and the children found much entertainment in watching Tommy pick up as many books as he could.

Tommy was happy with this routine he had, the little life that he carved out for himself. During the year, he’d help the kids, and in the summer, he’d train. As the years went by, news spread about Tommy’s activities out in the woods, and one day, at the start of summer, a group presented him with a netherite sword. Perfectly balanced, dangerously sharp, and engraved with a T on the hilt. It was in far greater condition than any sword Tommy had ever owned, all either old ones Techno has used, or beat up ones that had been through too many battles. But this one shone in the sun, and Tommy smiled. It was his. Not Techno’s, or Fundy’s, or Tubbo’s, or Dream’s. It was his. 

And later, as he drove the sword into a tree, he felt strong.

***

The years began to blur together as Tommy settled into this life he’d made. The seasons always passed the same, the weather always followed the same patterns. And Tommy could sit and watch it all, be a part of it. There were no wars, no fighting, no near-death experience. It was nice.

Each school year, kids came, and they passed, and of course Tommy had some favorites, but none truly stood out, until one year, about 6 into Tommy’s time teaching. A set of twins, two boys, Jay and Robin, just barely 4, caught his attention quickly. Jay, the younger of the twins, but also the louder, dragged Robin around, playing games and being interested in everything. Robin was quieter, but Tommy quickly learned that the kid had a chaotic streak as well. It took Tommy awhile to realize why these kids caught his attention so strongly, until one day, it hit him.

He and Tubbo. The kids reminded him of himself and Tubbo, before the wars. 

Oh.

Tommy decided, then, that he wouldn’t let anything drive the friends apart. He’d lost his Tubbo, he didn’t want these kids to lose each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next part in 2 days! I hope y’all liked this :)


	3. The Past Always Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is settling down for Tommy, and he’s happy.
> 
> But one can never escape their past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter in the story!!
> 
> This one is the angsty chapter, but I guess it can be seen as happy as well.
> 
> I dunno exactly what tws to put so I’ll just put tw arguing, minor character death, fire
> 
> Hope y’all like!

Over the next 4 years, he watched with interest as the 2 boys grew up. They were 7 now, and Tommy had bonded with them well. Perhaps more than the other children, but he kept telling himself it was because they were special. He had to make sure they didn’t grow up hating each other. 

He became close to them, and the boy’s parents, a nice couple in the village, thanked him for being so great to their children on their last day with him. He was sad to see them go, but he hoped he’d still get to see them after that, as he did with some of the older kids he still had a connection with.

He was right. Over the next 2 years, even once the boys had switched to the older classes, they still stopped by Tommy’s room, and he stopped to speak to them when he passed them in town. It was nice.

***

Until it wasn’t nice. It was a night like any other, a hot day in the summer where Tommy had been exhausted from sparring and had gone home early. He’d fallen asleep exhausted, expecting to sleep in a little.

But he hadn’t. Instead of waking up to the sun shining through his windows, he woke up to darkness and a dim glow, as well as shouts and screams. 

Tommy sat up quickly, mind flashing through scenes of war, death explosion. He shook, feeling 16 once more, 16 and in constant fear of death and an enemy far more powerful than himself.

_No. No, not now._

There was a problem. He had to help. He wouldn’t be afraid. 

He ran outside as quickly as possible, and the moment he had, he could see the problem. Fire. A house was on fire. Robin and Jay’s house. He quickly ran over, noticing that basically everybody in the village was there except a few, and Tommy realized those people must be inside, trying to help out the family trapped inside. 

Tommy felt his hands shaking, staring at the house engulfed in flames. He didn’t like fire. He’d never liked fire. His country had been taken by fire and destruction, many times over. No. No.

Not again.

Tommy was shaken out of his head by a shout, and a figure running towards the group, out of the house. The man was holding two smaller figures, and Tommy realized with a start that it was the boys.

The man, one Tommy barely barely even know, spotted TOmmy quickly, and as many in the village knew, Tommy was close with the boys. The man ran over to him, laying the boys down on the grass before running back to the house.

Tommy quickly knelt by them, hating how bad the kids looked. They were half conscious, hair singed, crying. He pulled them both into a tight hug, and they clung to him, all three shaking in the shadow of the flames. He held them as tight as he could, trying in some way to convey that it would be okay. It would all be okay, somehow.

***

It wasn’t all okay. 

The boys’ parents were dead, engulfed by the fire, and nobody in the village seemed to know what to do. For the time being, they were staying with Tommy, because they trusted him, but he didn’t know what would happen in the long run. 

He paced downstairs, in the house he’d lived in for so long, thinking.

He wanted to keep the kids. He wanted to care for them and protect them and make sure they didn’t know the pain he did. 

He never thought he would want kids, certainly not biologically, but he’d been proven wrong so many times over the last 12 years here, that he wouldn’t be surprised anymore. He’d really grown to care for these kids, he couldn’t just let them suffer like this, not without stepping in and doing something.

With a laugh, he realized he was really becoming a lot like Phil. 

It wasn’t a happy laugh, but also not full of sadness like it would have. He used to miss his dad, resent him as well. Now he just felt indifferent. He had moved on.

Tommy walked up the stairs, resolved. The boys were sleeping on a makeshift bed, mostly just a pile of blankets, and he hated to wake them, but he wanted to discuss with them.

He shook each of them lightly, and they stared up at him groggily. He tried to speak softly, hoping after this they’d be able to fall asleep again.

“Hey guys. Ι know this is a bit sudden, and you’re still sad, but Ι felt like it was only right to ask you guys first. Would you want to stay with me? It doesn’t have to be here, this house is a bit small, but you guys could stay with me. Or, of course, if you don’t want to, wwe can find someone else to take care of you guys. But Ι care about you both, and if you’ll let me, Ι want to help. Ι want to be there. What do you think?”

The boys looked at each other, and Robin nodded, just barely. Jay turned back to Tommy, still tired, but more noticeably sad as well.

“Yeah. We’d both like that.” Tommy smiled, ruffling the boy’s hair softly.

“Okay, you both get some more sleep now. Ι’lol get this all sorted out officially.”

***

It was pretty easy to officially take custody of the twins, there were no objections. The harder part was actually taking care of the kids. They were sad, and didn’t have much.

But over time, they healed. They grew. And Tommy, surprisingly, was a good dad. There were bumps along the way, of course there were, but Tommy rolled with them, always putting the kids first.

One such bump, had been Jay and Robin coming to him, Robin crying and Jay standing for support, as Robin told him they didn’t feel like a boy. But not a girl either. They were a kid. Tommy hugged them, reassuring them that of course he was still their dad, he still loved them, and life went on, with a new shiny set of pronouns.

The twins grew together, each having their own friends, but also having some overlap. The kids were nice, most of them kids Tommy had taught when they were little. It was crazy, how quickly they all grew up.

He figured the same could be said about himself. It had been 14 years since he’d last seen L’Manburg. He was 30 now, no longer a child. It was crazy. He was almost as old as Phil had been. An old man.

He chuckled. How weird to think about that. How weird to think he was almost as old as Phil was, his father, one of the oldest people he knew.

How his children, age 12, were still very much kids. And he was happy. He wouldn’t let them know what he had, only a little older than them. 

They were just kids. 

And as it turned out, they liked stories. Ones that he told them. As they grew up, they became more aware of the fact that Tommy had been a part of many things in his past. And they always asked for more stories. He tried to not tell them the ones of brutal war, and loss, and betrayal, instead opting to tell them the ones of success, of growth, of freedom. And of his family.

“You know, there are tales of powerful people, very powerful forces. Do you want me to tell you one?”

“Yes!” The two kids’ voices were alight with excitement.

“Well, okay then, Ι will. There was a great legend of a man, a man with wings. They say he conquered death, even made a deal with death. He survived on his own, in a harsh world, for many years. They say he had great white wings, wings that allowed him to soar into the great blue skies. According to some stories, this man was very kind, but cruel to those who did wrong. He also had two sons by his side, and the three of them always stayed together.”

“What’s his name?” Jay blurted out.

Tommy smiled sadly. “Only a few knew his real name. Everybody else called him the Angel of Death.”

“And what about the other two? His sons?” Robin’s eyes were wide, curious.

“Some say they were twins, but anybody who saw them would find that hard to believe. The first twin, the elder, was called the Blood God in stories. They say he was a piglin hybrid, a king. Some stories say he heard voices in his head, terribly violent stories. They say that’s why he was always fighting. He was the perfect opposite of the other twin.”

“What was the other like?”

“He was less well known as the other two, probably because he refused to fight. There’s no name for him in the stories, but the general ideas about him were true. He was nonviolent in his early days, relying on his words to rally people behind him. He started countries, he brought people together. But it all drove him mad. And in the end, he died for it.”

Both kids’ eyes widened at that, but Jay recovered from it quickly.

“You know so much about them, did you ever meet them?”

“Yes Ι did. Ι knew them, once. A lifetime ago.” The two looked up at him in wonder.

“Wow! Are they like what people think they are?”

“Yes, they’re exactly how the people say. The Angel of Death was very powerful, with great wings. He was kind, yes, but only to a point. He favored the Blood God and his other son above all else, in the end choosing the more powerful son. He was powerful, but he wasn’t a great person.

“The Blood God, as well, was how you’d expect. Violent, powerful, angry. He fought for chaos, let the voices within him call for blood. The only person in the world he ever really cared about was the Angel of Death, he would let anybody else in his way get hurt. Even if they were family.”

“And what about the other twin, did you know him, too?”

“Yeah, Ι knew him. Ι knew him best. He was a great leader, he could command anybody, convince them to follow him. Ι followed him to the end of the world, as long as Ι could. He went insane though. Lost himself in it all, and died. And all of us had to pick up the pieces he left behind.”

“All of us?”

“My friends and Ι. My family. It all fell apart eventually, though. And Ι came here. And Ι’ve been here ever since.”

“Do you miss them?”

“My friends, Ι do. The others, the legends, Ι don’t know. Ι was never good enough for them, but Ι did care. Ι still do, despite how much Ι wish Ι didn’t. But Ι have you two now, and Ι wouldn’t trade that for the world.”

***

Tommy was glad he could raise his children in the safety of the village. There were rarely any outsiders, and that meant there were rarely attacks.  
There was one day, however, where that changed.

Tommy was in the middle of a lesson, when a man Tommy knew ran in, announcing that all students were to leave class early. All the kids got up, rushing out of the room.

“What’s going on?” Tommy was confused, what could possibly be happening? The man turned to him, looking out of breath.

“There’s somebody in the village, armed. We don’t know what they want, but we want to gather some defenses. Can you help? You’re a good fighter.”

Tommy nodded. “Of course. Let me find my children and send them home, first, okay?” The man nodded, then he ran out again.

Tommy left after him, leaving the room a mess. He’d deal with it tomorrow. He ran to the other part of the school, where children were still exiting. He searched frantically, finally finding Jay and Robin.

“Kids, go home. There’s an issue, Ι’ll explain it all later, just get inside, go upstairs, and stay there for now, okay?” 

“Yeah. Come on Robin.” Jay turned, grabbing Robin’s hand, and the two ran back in the direction of their house. 

Tommy ran to the town center, where the others were gathering to challenge the foreigner. Somebody handed Tommy his sword, and his hand shook as he held it.

He might have to actually use it against somebody. But it was for the defense of his friends, his family. His home. He could do this.

Eventually, Tommy joined the crowd, and he saw the person in question for the first time.

They sat upon a horse, wearing a dark coat. Most of their face was obscured, but Tommy could see they had short brown hair. A sword was at their side, but it wasn’t drawn. That was a good sign.

Tommy stepped forwards, looking up at the man. He thought it was a man.

“Who are you, what do you want?” The man was silent, but Tommy could see his eyes widen. The man slid off the horse, and Tommy took a step back, drawing his sword.

Then Tommy caught a glimpse of his face. He looked familiar.

Why did he look so familiar?

“Tommy?” Oh. Tommy would recognize that voice no matter how long it had been.

“Tubbo?” His voice shook, and just like that, Tubbo was running towards him, both of their swords dropped, forgotten, and they were hugging, rib crushing. Tubbo clung to him, and Tommy noticed he was a little taller than he’d been when they were 16. 

Oh yeah, Tubbo was 30 as well. How crazy.

Just then, somebody from the crowd spoke up. “Tommy, do you know him?” He looked over to Tubbo, and as he did, memories flooded back, vivid. Tubbo yelling at him. Tubbo exiling him. Him screaming at Tubbo. None of that had ever been resolved.

“Yeah, Ι know him. He’s… somebody Ι used to know.” TUbbo flinched at that, but Tommy didn’t pay too much attention to that. “He won’t hurt anybody. Ι swear. Ι’m going to talk to him, if that’s okay?”

People nodded, seeming relieved, and the crowd dispersed. Tommy gestured for Tubbo to follow him, and he headed back home.

As he opened the door, he heard two pairs of footsteps running down the stairs, and then there were Robin and Jay.

“Dad, what’s-” Then, they seemed to spot Tubbo, stopping.

“Kids, this is Tubbo. We’ll be talking in my room, you two go play a game or something, okay?” They nodded, running off again. 

Tommy led Tubbo to his room, closing the door, and finally turning to Tubbo.

“So.”

“So. It’s good to see you again.”

“Sure.” Tubbo flinched again, and Tommy thought maybe he was being too harsh, but Tubbo seemed to move on.

“So… dad, huh?” Tommy smiled, fondly thinking of his kids.

“Yeah. Robin and Jay, they’re twins, 12. They’re great.”

“And you’re their biological dad?”

“No, Ι adopted them.” Tubbo laughed at that.

“You’re really becoming a Philza Minecraft.” 

“Ι guess Ι really am.” Then he paused. “And what about you? What about everybody else? How are you all?”

“We’re good. It took 10 years, but we defeated Dream. He’s in Sam’s prison now. He won’t be getting out. Ever. That’s why Ι came, now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we sent out search parties, trying to find you. For 2 years, we’ve been trying.”

“You were trying to find me?”

“Of course! We all missed you, Tommy.” 

Tommy’s voice was bitter. “You exiled me.”  
“That was never permanent. We always planned on finding you.”

“Wasn't permanent? Tubbo, it’s been 14 years! You all abandoned me!”

“We had to take down Dream, that just took longer than we thought it would!”

“Well too bad, Tubbo, you don’t just get to leave me for 14 years, and expect me to be okay!”

At this point, both of them were shouting, just like they had 14 years ago, when Tommy was a hotheaded teenager, and Tubbo was in charge of a country that was falling to pieces. Tubbo looked down, seemingly sad.

“Tommy, please. Ι missed you so much, we all did. Please, come home.”

“This is my home, now. Ι have a life here, Ι have people Ι care about, a job Ι care about. Ι won’t leave it.”

“What about your family? What about Techno and Phil?”

“They’re not my family, Tubbo! They left me, they always did. Robin and Jay are my family now, Ι can’t leave that. Ι won’t raise my kids on a battleground.”

Tommy finished, and he could almost feel the anger radiating off of Tubbo.

“Fine. Stay here. You always talk about how you’ve been betrayed, abandoned by everybody, and yet you want to leave me, leave your real family. Selfish. Fourteen years, and you’re still selfish.”

“Goodbye, Tubbo.”

And Tubbo turned to leave, walking out. Then he was gone. And Tommy started to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really do hope you all liked this story. It’s been an ongoing project of mine for so long :)
> 
> My summary of this chapter was “Tommy can have some kids. As a treat.”

**Author's Note:**

> I swear I meant for this to be like 3 scenes in total but I kept writing and now the full story is Long
> 
> Next part will be out in 2 days <3


End file.
